New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-20

deliberately allowed them, and the Americans OF
course were justified in accepting all the privileges
which their real, though not yet avowcd, ally was
willing to grant. The chief difficulties arose Iron
the zeal of French local functiOnaries, VINO diu
not always understand the private wishes Oh INC
court, or the rashness Of American commanders
whose proceedings occasionally so Doid lha'
no sclf-respecting Government could aheco "
overlook them. Upon the whole the Americans
did almost as they pleased. Ordered to leave Ior'.
they procrastinated, appealed, pleaded the neeu
Of repairs, and generally remained uh'i' 'n'J
had finished their outfit; or if finally compehco
; to quit one port, they merely sailed 10 aio'"o'
When prizes could not be sold on shoro '''o ''''
took place just outside the harbor.
Some details of these subterfuges are given IN
Franklins correspondence with The American
commanders. One of the ablcst and most actNe
of the CAPTAINS was Lambert WiclSes, OF the sloop
Of war Reprisal an officer whose career promised
the highest distinction, when he was lost with all
but one of his crew by the laundering OF ms
ship on the voyage home. 1t was with W1cKcs
in the Rcprsal that Franklin went out TO France
| in 177G. Samuel Nicholson who died at the head
Of the United States Navy in 1911, was in Europe
at this time and seems TO have been employed
by Franklin on Wic1ess recommendation, probably
receiving one Of the blank commissions Ills
| first appointment to the Dolphin sloop-ol-
war, which Wiclles calls "only q picllpocket
| With this vessel however, ne made prOnuiple
cruise in Wickcss company Mr.. Hale states
that at the beginning of autumn OF That year
Nicholson was in an English prison. his may
he n mistake note of Nicholson's in our
possession records that he received commission
for the fIigate Dcane, August a. 11'I' ths
being one of the new ships built for the Americans
| in France and the ship was certainty hoO
captured it is fair to presume that her com
mandcr was not captured either. Nicholson Is
shown by Mr. IIales book to have been In France
in Dcccmber-probably waiting for the completion
of his outfit GlIstavus Conyngham was daring
American ADVENTURE whose exploits on the Eng
lish coasts almost Iivallcd for n time the 1cats
of John Paul Jones. His most famous achieve
ment the capture of the liarwlch mall
packet This affair made vast sensation; puI
Conyngham on the whole was unlucly, and BEN"
taken prisoner treated with extreme severity
There has always been some doubt whether he
ought TO be regarded privatecr or regular
naval officer, but he had a valid commission ana
Franklin certainly spent the public money III
fitting him out, although private persons may
have been also interested in his ventures Franklin
was especially energetic in aid of Paul Jones'
with whom his relations appear to have been
always close and friendly lie had a great part
in the dispatch of the expedition which made the
fame of the Bon Ilomme Richard, and his CORE
spOndcnce with the dashing commodore Is very
full and readable. The new documents throw
some further light upon the affair of the notorious
Captain Landais, the quarrekOme and crazy
Frenchman whose misconduct while in command
Of the American frigate Alliance gave so much
trouble to Jones, to the Commissioners, and TO
nearly everybody else who had business with him. |
On account of his behavior in the action with the
lie
moved him from his ship and gave the command
to Paul Jones. lie held that instructions of Con
cress gave him authority TO do this Landas, |
however, possessed himself of the frigatc by
force, sent recacitrants ashore. and sailed for
America. On the voyage his insanity became so
pronounced that his officers deposed him. The
Alliance, which then and for many years the
favoritc ship of the American Navy, was soon
afterward placed under the command of that
gallant Tariot, Commodore Barry, and he turned |
her to good account. Mr.. Hale is wrong in
speaking of Wices Nicholson, johnson and Jones
as privateers. although that name applied TO
them by the French in some of the official cor
rcspondcnce Of which they were the subject |
Whatever doubt there may be about Conyneham. |
it is quito clear that the Reprisal under Wickes,
the Dolphin and Deanc under Nicholson the Lex |
ington under Johnson. the Ranger, Bon Homme |
were in the most exact sense Of the word national
vessels The French had no more reason for
styling them privatcers than the English had for |
calling them pirates.
In reading the letters connected with these |
affairs we are more than ever impressed both by |
tic value of FranlSlin's services in a critical /
emergency and the marvellous heXibility OF mind
with which the philosopher, in the eighth decade
Of his age, accommodated himself 10 tho manage |
ment Of various and unfamiliar interests. While !
he was conducting a delicate and pcrplcXinz !
diplomacy, he WAS required also to master the
details Of naval administration, shipbuilding,
out-ftting, and maritime war; TO solve the in
tricacies Of an international law not yet formlI-
lated to manage the sale Of merchandise and
purchase of supplies on the part Of the Americans
and, most difficult task of all, to raise the money
for the multi ifarious transactions thrust upon
him. He was statesman, tladcsman, banker. beg
gar and commander all at once and he failed in
nothinr. The money troubles were heartrcnding,
and the account of them given in this volume
is enough 10 fill with amazcment France
was TO all ntents and purposes our base OF SUP
plies ard Congress called upon Franklin not only
to purchase and ship war material but TO meet
the drafts Of representatives at other courts. and
all the thousand and one expenses Of miscel
lancous continental AGENTS They constantly
drew upon him without providing funds TO meet
the drafts-drawing the Bank Of HOPE, he used
TO call the process and in the effort to protect
the credit of his country he was driven TO many
a shift, and often had to press the generosity Of
the French court until the patience Of the KIM
and his Ministers quite exhausted We knew
already Of his difficulties in this matter, and Of
the patience, patriotism and astutcncss with
which lie suImounted them but the new core
spondence makes the story exceedingly vivid.
Tie letters concerning the relief and exchange
of prisoners are particularly ample, and show
FranI<lin's humanity and perseverance in equally
strong lieht There are some admirable letters
also on the state OF the quarrel with Great
Rrit ain and the essential conditions OF peace
L. Nam rlintur